the-homepage

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# The homepage

> Write your homepage for the person who actually reads it: the **end-user developer**, not the CTO who signs the check. The developer becomes your champion and sells it internally for you.

**Use this when:** your homepage speaks to buyers/ROI, it's clever but vague about what the thing does, or a developer can't tell in 5 seconds whether to care, and can't start in 5 minutes if they do.

## The core rule (Czakon)

**Address end-user developers on the homepage; put enterprise/ROI/buyer messaging on separate pages** (enterprise, pricing, case studies). If you write the homepage for the buyer, you've written it for someone who isn't there.

## Framework: the sections, in order (Czakon)

1. **Hook / core message**: immediately: what *is* it? Use a category ("CI for monorepos"), a known-incumbent comparison ("a Datadog alternative"), or a plain statement. **Headline = what it is · subhead = for whom / what job.**
2. **Hero**: a real product shot; two CTAs: **Get started** (signup) *and* **Docs**. Answer "what's in it for me?" up top. Lead with the **how**, not the why.
3. **Social proof, right after the hero**: recognizable logos are the fastest credibility you have. Impressive dynamic metrics (users, stars) if you've got them.
4. **Value prop & differentiation**: why you over the 10 alternatives (see `value-prop-that-converts`).
5. **Getting started**: a huge conversion lever. Free trial, **no credit card**, quick setup. Any hard barrier sends developers straight to a competitor.

**Design:** clean typography, breathing room, no "salesy BS," minimal heavy interactions. An embedded playground / copy-pasteable snippet creates an instant *aha*.

## Framework: what must be on it (Frankl)

Cross-check the copy has all six:
1. the **problem in the customer's language** (before the solution)
2. the **villain** / undeniable trend
3. **attributed proof** with numbers (name · title · company)
4. the **inciting event** / urgency
5. **social proof** (not anonymous)
6. a **low-friction path to try** (free tier · docs · GitHub)

## The MVP website (Czakon)

Don't build everything. Start with: **homepage · docs · pricing · navbar (login, signup, contact, GitHub) · About** (an About page builds trust for an unknown brand). Add later, deliberately: case studies → comparison pages → blog → templates → sandbox → enterprise page.

> **Transparent pricing.** "Contact sales for pricing" reads as "expensive and slow." Show a number wherever you can.

## Decision tree: hero CTA

```
Can a developer get value self-serve?
├─ YES → primary CTA "Get started" (signup/download) + secondary "Docs".
└─ NO  → primary CTA "Read the docs" / "See how it works"; don't fake a signup that dead-ends.
```

## Mistakes that look reasonable

- **Writing for the buyer**: ROI language up top; the developer bounces.
- **Why before what**: three sentences of vision before you say what it *is*.
- **"Contact sales" pricing**: kills self-serve trust instantly.
- **No getting-started**: a beautiful hero and no obvious first step.
- **Puffery hero**: "The powerful, seamless platform for modern teams." Says nothing (run `value-prop-that-converts`).

## Your next 30 minutes

- [ ] Read your hero as a skeptical developer: in 5 seconds, do you know *what it is* and *if it's for you*?
- [ ] Confirm the five sections exist **in order**; move buyer/ROI copy to its own page.
- [ ] Put a **no-credit-card** getting-started step above the fold or one click away.
- [ ] Run the page through **[ShipReady](https://ship-ready.xyz)** for the full 10-point scorecard.

---
Built from real dev-tool GTM experience, with frameworks from Adam Frankl (*The Developer-Facing Startup*) and Jakub Czakon (*markepear.dev*).
Want a line-by-line teardown of your actual homepage from someone who's done hundreds? Reach out to me on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/devtoolgtm/).

From AIDevGTM/gtm-cofounder, MIT.

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